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Monthly Archives: March 2016

Tonight I wanted to share with you guys my three favorite quotes. I know that we started with 10 movies, moved down to five songs, and landed on three quotes but it won’t always be a downward slope! I promise!

Without further ado:

“Life is a shipwreck, but we must remember to sing in the lifeboats.” -Voltaire

“We are so vain that we even care for the opinion of those we don’t care for.” –Marie Ebner von Eschenbach

“I is who I is.” -Popeye

You may have noticed that this blog is titled I is who I Is. It’s not the most eloquent title in the world and when I started it it was purely a personal blog about trying to become my best self. As with most big projects that I attempt, I threw all of that shit out and went with books. Books! Not that it doesn’t get personal here sometimes. I often share with you guys my failures and triumphs, my loves and losses. I am who I am and books and pickles and kitties and love are my spinach.

A few years ago I came across the Marie Ebner von Eschenbach quote. I don’t know anything about this woman except that she is wise. I was going through some shit, like I often am, and I found myself really very concerned about what other people thought about my life, some particular other people who were no longer even a part of it. Did they think that I was having fun? Did they think that I was killing it? Did they think that I was getting fat? Who the fuck cares??? Not me anymore and for a while I wore this quote like a badge.

Finally, the very first quote is my latest favorite. I have it on my Facebook. It’s been written on my chalkboard just inside my front door. It would probably be the quote I got tattooed on me. Because life is a shipwreck. It always is. There’s always some hurricane on the horizon, waiting to capsize your boat. But, dammit, I’m going to have a good time and sing in my lifeboat.

Boy, it had been an exciting book week for me. When this little gem came in yesterday I immediately confiscated it and set it aside to be devoured right before I went home. I have been waiting for this one for months. I love Archie comics. I loved them when I was growing up and I love them still. When this landed on my desk I almost did a happy dance. I did a happy dance inside.

I was not let down. The art is great. It’s completely my style, bright and crisp. The characters are truly updated versions of their old selves. The best part about this book was finally having a background story to work with. You know what you’re getting with an Archie comic. You’re getting this great slice of life, this idealized high school world that you only see in teen movies. I will buy into it every single time.

If you’ve read any of the Archie comics, you know that Betty and Veronica are always fighting over Archie. You don’t really know why. They seem to like each other alright. Archie’s kind of, well, a bumbling boy with no real charm. This book right here starts at the beginning and it is so nice to have a beginning. Archie doesn’t seem like just some idiot and there is finally a reason for all of the fighting over him. It’s a great start and I cannot wait to see more.

In the first issue in this collection, Archie tells us that he’s just gone through a breakup with Betty. Everyone at school is surprised. Obviously, Archie and Betty were the power couple, the couple that everyone looked up to. Archie and Betty have been together forever, like since they were five. They did everything together. Now they aren’t even talking. All we know is that the break up has something to do with #lispstickincident which Archie doesn’t want to talk about. Right away everyone starts scheming on how to get them back together and they all decide to vote them in as Homecoming King and Queen. Only, Jughead has different ideas and Betty ends up queen with someone else while Archie gets to play his guitar in front of an audience for the first time.

I bet you can’t guess who shows up next! There’s a new girl in town: Veronica Lodge, millionairess and realty show star. And she has something to hold over Archie’s head.

I really, really enjoyed this. I don’t know how I’ll survive until the next volume comes out!

P.S. In case you missed it, CW has announce a new Archie TV show, Riverdale.

P.P.S. If you’re looking for something a little darker, you can always give Afterlife with Archie a shot. In these comics, Riverdale battles zombies.

Don’t you just love it when things come together? I sure do. I like it particularly when a week of reading comes together. Look at that! I read six books and one short story this week! Isn’t that amazing? Possibly even more shocking is the fact that I didn’t buy any books. I won’t say that I wasn’t tempted. In fact, Saturday we were in a college town and I totally meant to look for a used book store. I went to the casino instead. I actually regret nothing.

But what great reading there was!

The Bock short story was my first issue of One Story, a subscription service that sends you one short story a month for 13 months at the price of $21 TOTAL. The story comes in this wonderful little booklet. I was so excited when I received it on Saturday that I just HAD to plop right down on the couch and read it. I fell asleep face-first in it and finished in the morning but it was good. I liked it. I wish that I had another one already! Hubby is thinking about subscribing to the YA One Story with the understanding that we’ll share and I totally hope he does.

My reading was all over the place this week: One paranormal romance, one contemporary YA romance, one fantasy book, one collection of poetry, and two vastly different graphic novels. AND I liked all but one of them!

I made a lot of sounds this week while I was reading. I cheered characters on. I squealed and giggled. I read poetry aloud. I gushed about wonderful artwork. (Seriously. Jem and the Holograms has my favorite art ever, I think.) I’ve also started carrying my book in my purse (instead of pretending that I’ll use my Kindle app), much to the amusement, or lake thereof, of those around me. (Hubby: “Please don’t bring that into the funeral home.” Me: “God. What do you think I am? I’m not a complete cad!”)

What more could I ask for in my reading life right this moment? I tore through so many books last week and right now I am listening to the next Sookie Stackhouse and reading the newest book by one of my favorite authors. They’re both good, good enough that I can barely stand the wait. On a rainy Michigan spring day like today I want nothing more than to be reading a napping.

You may recall that I was feeling a little blue last week. (Actually, more like warmed over shit having an existential crisis of self. But whatever.) This week I am the polar opposite. It’s another thing that just kind of came together for me. I did a lot of thinking last week about who I am, who I want to be, where I’m at, and where I’d like to head. I made decisions about myself and my life. By Friday I was still feeling a little unsure of things. Saturday I went to a funeral and there’s nothing like a funeral for putting things into perspective. I don’t want to be miserable anymore so I’m just not going to be. And since making that decision I have felt ridiculously better. I’ve voiced my wants. I’ve done my thing. I’ve been me. It feels good to be back and I’m hoping that I’ll turn out some wonderful new stuff soon.

May your weeks be stuffed to brim with glorious consumption: Good food, binge-worthy TV, and delicious food. Maybe even some kittens!

I really wanted to like this book. It’s been floating around for a couple of months and whenever I happen to spot it on the shelves I think, “I really need to read that.” I seem to remember reading some great reviews of it.

I did not like this book. I wanted more. More story, more layers, more character development. More. Spoilers coming.

The art wasn’t my style. I’m not saying that it was bad but it wasn’t anything that I enjoyed. A couple of frames were beautiful and perfect but I would consider it about 15% of the book. I can’t even really explain why I didn’t like it. This is purely a taste thing.

The characters were completely and utterly two dimensional which led to a number of things that I found problematic about the story. Alison, the MC, has a crush on a bad boy, Darren, even though we have no idea why. I mean, he actually probably says the nicest thing to her in the whole damn book so I guess that I DO know why. The other guys are grossly stereotypical. They all seem to be “Nice Guys,” the kind of guys who think that being nice to a girl means that she should date you seriously for a few years. Casey, the stoner, has a douchey masculinity attack and threatens to rip Alison’s crush’s nuts off. Tim is “boring” but I bet he’s just shy. Then there’s Paul who you know is “supposed” to be with Alison the second they start talking about him because he’s “so nice” even though when he “saves Alison” he’s kind of a dick about it and makes a point to tell her she’s stupid and that he understands that “girls love assholes.” Hey! Thanks for being a Nice Guy.

Also, can we please talk about this “saving Alison” bullshit? Basically, after Darren, an accused arsonist, says one of the swoon worthiest things in the whole to her and then takes her out to a field and sets her name int he middle of a heart on fire because “he’s not good with words.” Then here come Paul with his volunteer EMT sirens to scare Darren off and “save Alison” from a pretty under control situation. (I’m from the middle of nowhere. Darren’s fire amounts to a bonfire for me.) I’m not going to say that Darren’s reaction is great but neither is Alison’s. Then Paul is all like, “Oh! I saved you! I know girls don’t like nice guys!” Sigh.

Out of nowhere, I kept hearing about the Jem comics. I heard about them everywhere. I read articles about the feminism. I read articles about the art. I heard it compared to Lumberjanes. I was sold. When I came in to work today I was informed that it was almost as cute as Lumberjanes and I was sold.

I never know how to review comics because I never know what to say about the art. To me, the best art is the kind that flows perfectly with the story. It can’t distract and it can’t subtract. It has to be a fine balance. This was, without a doubt, my favorite art ever. The colors were just awesome. They drew me right into the panels. For a little bit, Jem’s world was my world. Honestly, the frame with Pizzazz covered in pie is the most punk rock thing I have seen in forever.

Jerrica is too shy to sing in front of anyone but her band (her sisters) and it’s about to tear the band apart. That is, until she discovers Synergy, the hologram computer her father left her after he died. Now, Jerrica has the ability to be a hologram on stage named Jem and the band finally gets to enter in the Misfit Vs. battle and they are a smash hit. Only, the Misfits don’t want good competition. A juicy battle of the bands along with a secret relationship and a secret identity made this a nail-biter for me.

I’m so glad that I didn’t get on the bandwagon with this one sooner. Now I only have to wait a month for the next trade.

I almost didn’t have time to do this listy today! I got a little hung up on trying to change a printer cartridge. But I did it! Success is sweet!

Without further ado:

My Five Favorite Songs

“Semicharmed Life” by Third Eye Blind- This song was HUGE when I was in junior high and I just kind of took to it. I think because I knew it was about sex and drugs even though it was such a feel good sound. Anyway, I still love it just so much..

“Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra- This one happened a couple of years ago. I have no idea how. I NEVER was an ELO fan but I can’t say that I ever really equated them with their music, just bad album covers of stuff that my father would never listen to. It must have just come on the radio one day or been played in the basement on some vinyl. It’s been a constant ever since.

“20 Years in the Dakota” by Hole- I can’t not include Hole. And this song. This song. I’ve probably listened to it a million times.

“Come on Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners- Like, how can you not?? This song just makes me want to dance around like a nut job.

“Houses of the Holy” by Led Zeppelin- The same way I can’t not have Hole, I can’t not have Zeppelin. This song used to be my ring back tone. It’s a sweet jam.

I read this one as part of my Sci-Fi/Fantasy club. After a couple of rough books, this was a wonderful relief. I loved it. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I gave a hearty, “Yay, Lessa!” I asked my husband if I could have a dragon. (Though, the torti cat is pretty close to one sometimes…)

Lessa has been hiding out in Ruatha since the day Fax’s troops stormed the castle and killed her family. Only the watch-wher knows who she is. When F’lar, the rider of a great bronze dragon, brings his men in search of a new weyrwoman, she sees her chance of destroying Fax. Lessa is smart, determined, and capable of manipulating others with ease. When she manages to force F’lar’s hand in offing Fax, she see’s only that she will soon reclaim her hold. Then F’lar offers her a chance to weyrwoman.

Pern is in trouble. The ancient enemies, Threads that come from the red star, are about to fall and they are short on dragons and support. The legends are fading away in the minds of the common people who know only that they are sending their harvests on to an outdated tradition. F’lar and Lessa must find a way to solve these problems, and fast, before the whole planet is destroyed.

Another book that I wish I had been able to read faster. I could barely put it down at the end. Still want a dragon.